A Lie without a Trace

I did not really go crazy when I found out my fiance was cheating on me. There was one simple reason. Solomon Zimmer had a strange condition—every time he lied, his body would break out in a rash. He had never been able to lie to me. So, when I confronted him, Solomon remained perfectly calm. "You're the one I love the most, Yvonne. I'd never cheat on you." There was no breakout. Unfortunately, I did not buy his story at all. Whenever he said he was doing overtime, I would wait outside his office. Whenever he went on a business trip, I would book a flight and follow him wherever he went. In the end, I installed surveillance cams in his car and GPS on his phone. When he found out what I had done, disappointment filled his eyes. "It's been six months. You went from unhinged to crazy. So, tell me, did you find out who the woman was?" He pulled my fingers away and tore his ring off. "If you have so little trust in me, perhaps we should delay the wedding indefinitely." That shattered me into a million pieces, and my depression attacked me at the same time. I was going to slit myself, but then a screen of comments popped up before my eyes. "Finally, the side character's getting the boot! MMC forced himself to take allergy meds for six months so he wouldn't have a breakout when this girl demanded answers from him." "Well, this character is the FMC's best friend. The FMC's been staying overseas all these years so she wouldn't break this side character's heart. Poor MMC. He had to travel back and forth for seven years." My hand froze in midair, and along it was the blade that would cut through my flesh. Then, my best friend, Louise Stone, messaged me. "I'm coming home, Yvonne." Chapter 1 Betrayal Found The blade slipped from my hand and hit the floor with a sharp clatter. My mind was a mess, but the sting at my wrist dragged me back to reality. "Hello? Earth to Yvonne? Girl, you used to reply instantly." I still did not text back, so Louise called me. "Miss me, girl? I bet you're excited to hear about my return!" She sounded jovial. My cold, hard fingers were wrapped around the phone, and I barely managed to squeeze out a reply. "That's… wonderful." Louise noticed that something was off with me. "What's wrong? Is your depression acting up again? Honestly, Solomon calls this taking care of you? Oh, I'm going to bite his head off when I get back. I'm not letting you suffer, not on my watch!" She still cared for me just like she used to. It was thanks to her that I managed to survive my darkest days. I could not believe she was the traitor. I did not want to believe it. So, I forced a smile she could not see. "It's not. It's just… work's been wearing me down. You're landing tomorrow? I can pick you up." Louise declined profusely. "Please, you don't have to. You should get a lot of rest. Someone's picking me up anyway." After we hung up, my heart was still pounding. A moment later, the bedroom door swung open. Solomon had returned. "Left the car ke—what happened to your hand?" He noticed the blade that was on the ground, and his frown deepened. "Never an easy day with you, Yvonne Shaw." He pulled my hand closer to him and dabbed Betadine over the wound. Once that was done, silence followed, but he was the first to break the ice. "I know your condition's making you oversensitive, and you fear losing me. I can't blame you for your actions, but please, for once, trust me. You know I physically can't lie." He gazed into my face intently. "Remember what happened over the last six months? You barged into my meeting and cost me my project, then you stalked me so much, you scared my client into canceling our partnership. I can forgive that, but then that happened. How much longer is this going to go on?" His phone was on the desk. It buzzed. Solomon took a look and stood up. "I'm picking up my boss at the airport tomorrow." He showed me the message. "I just got the text. See? I'm not lying." I slowly closed my eyes, and a sense of powerlessness crept into my heart. … The next day came, and I hesitated over my options for a long time, but eventually, I followed him to the airport. Solomon waited for half an hour in the waiting area, and then a middle-aged man approached him. "Mr. Horton, you're finally here. The company's ride is already at the exit. Please, come with me." My heart thumped again. So he really was picking up a client. Just when I thought I could rest easy, Solomon suddenly hurried back toward the arrivals hall. My entire body tensed again. A familiar figure zipped through the throng and jumped into his arms. "Miss me?" Louise smiled brightly. Solomon wrapped his arms around her as though he were holding something precious. "I have. Promise me you won't leave? I don't want to hide it anymore. I'll tell Yvonne about us when I get the chance." Louise was hesitant. "But she's my best friend. I don't want to hurt her." Solomon tightened his hug. "What about me? Are you going to watch me take allergy meds for life? You're going to let this relationship stay underground forever?" Louise went quiet. She hung her head low, and the rims of her eyes turned red. "I don't, but I want you to think about Yvonne." Solomon let out a sigh and kissed Louise's forehead. "It's alright. I'll give her time to accept it. It's her birthday next weekend. We'll throw her a party and then tell her afterward." My heart sank into an abyss, and a wave of pain clutched my body so hard that I could not breathe. It was true—Solomon did fall in love with someone else, and that someone else was my best friend who saved me from my darkest days. This relationship was not big enough for the three of us. I would rather do without it. Then my mother texted me. "Have you guys settled on a date for the wedding, Yvonne?" I breathed deeply. Then, I wiped my tears and texted back, "The wedding's canceled, Mom. I'm coming home soon." Chapter 2 Sent to the Hospital When I met Louise, she hurried over to me. "I've missed you, Yvonne!" My body froze up, and I pushed her hand away in discomfort. She frowned. "What's wrong? You've been acting weird since I called you yesterday." She glanced at Solomon and huddled closer to whisper into my ear, "Are you two fighting? Did he push you around? I heard your wedding's been delayed indefinitely." A smirk twisted my lips. "You have excellent sources. Only Solomon and I knew about that." The atmosphere immediately turned awkward. Solomon frowned and quickly explained, "I ran into her on the way back, so we had a little chat. It's not like I don't want to marry you, Yvonne. It's just… Well, you've been oversensitive lately. I barely had a good night's sleep for six months thanks to you. I need to slow down." The old me would have kept digging for answers, asking them what they talked about and how long he wanted to delay the wedding. However, right now, all I felt was exhaustion. I was tired. We exchanged some meaningless small talk before he announced that he wanted to host a welcome dinner for Louise. She declined politely at first, but after a little persuasion, she accepted. … I had expected a simple dinner. Instead, Solomon's mother, relatives, and friends all showed up. Melissa walked straight toward Louise with a broad smile. "I didn't bring any presents, Louise. Here, you can have this bracelet." She slipped the bracelet off her own wrist and placed it around Louise's. Unlike the indifference she showed toward me, she was grinning ear to ear when she talked to Louise. Some guests gasped. "But that bracelet's saved for the Zimmers' daughter-in-law!" Melissa put on a cryptic smile. "Yes. Louise is a smart and lovely lady. I'd be more than happy if she'd marry my son." I watched on in silence and looked away. Solomon placed a piece of fish on my plate. "Mom adores Louise. That's why she gave her a present. She doesn't mean any harm." I hummed but did not touch that piece of fish. … Halfway through the dinner, I went to the bathroom. Suddenly, I overheard Melissa talking to her son. "Son, Louise has waited for years. You have to marry her. I know Yvonne's not a bad girl, but she's prone to episodes of madness. She can't be a part of the family." Something squeezed my heart. So they knew all along, and then something hit me. After I ruined Solomon's project, Melissa barged into our house and yelled at me. It was Solomon who shielded me. "You can't yell at her, Mom. She only did it because she cares about me too much!" A self-deprecating smile curled my lips. I had no idea he could act this well. Though a wall separated us, I still heard Solomon's answer. "Give it time. Yvonne hasn't been too stable lately." His mother snorted. "You care about her so much. Why? Think you can split your love between the two of them? Also, you had alcohol today, so skip the allergy meds. I don't want anything to happen to you." … When I went back inside, Solomon was drinking, and he kept drinking. It did not take long until he got drunk, and he groggily leaned on Louise. "Honestly, I can't believe he drank so much, and it's my party. Fine, guess I'll take you both home." She sighed and helped him get into the car. I stared at Solomon's drunk, flushed face, and something hit me. My lips curled a little. "Solomon?" Finally, I could ask that question that had been haunting my mind for so long. "Do you like Louise?" A long stretch of silence ensued, but he eventually answered, "No." Rashes slithered up his cheeks the very next moment, and they did not stop. They appeared on his neck and began their descent down his body. He started to scratch without thinking, and his face twisted with pain. I laughed. I laughed so hard I doubled over, and tears began to fall. Finally, his true feelings were laid bare before my very eyes. Panic flickered on Louise's face. "He's probably allergic to alcohol. I'll have the driver take him to the hospital." … At the hospital, Louise sat beside Solomon's bed, gently wiping his face with a warm towel. He opened his eyes groggily, and when he saw Louise, Solomon pulled himself up into a sitting position. "You need to take a break, Louise. You're going pale from working too hard." Then, he looked at me. I was nearby, calm and collected. The look in Solomon's eyes spoke of a hundred emotions. "I'm your boyfriend, Yvonne. Why is Louise the one taking care of me? Aren't you worried about me at all?" I looked at him with indifference. "No. You're not dead yet, after all." He froze. The rash on his body was an eyesore. I noticed that he would have a rash breakout every time he lied during junior year's winter. I just got home from my part-time job, and my ankle was frozen blue. I had to pull my cotton jacket closer to get some warmth, but it had lost its warming effect a long time ago. That was when Solomon showed up. He took off his down jacket and gave it to me. There was an awkward look in his eyes. "Wear this. Don't worry, the cold doesn't bother me." Then, rashes climbed up his face. I used to think his allergy to lies was how I could know him well. I never imagined that one day that same allergy would be the thing that tore my heart into pieces. Chapter 3 Sent a Message Louise pulled me out of the hospital room. She remained silent for a moment before apparently deciding to give me a small piece of the truth. "To be honest, yes, I've been catching up with Solomon while I was overseas, but it was all due to business. It's easier to talk in person." She held my hand. "We're best friends. Solomon didn't want you to take the meetings the wrong way, and you're prone to overthinking, so he said nothing. We're practically family, girl. You can't suspect me." Her hands were warm. Louise had stood beside me when teachers spread false rumours about me. She had protected me when I had almost no one else, but people changed. Again, the comments popped up. "Nice strategic retreat, FMC! No idea why this side character is still hanging around, but she's irrelevant anyway." "Yeah, FMC is carrying MMC's baby. She's not going to lose this!" I froze, and my eyes flitted to Louise's stomach. She noticed where I was looking, and a stiff smile curled her lips. "What's wrong?" I shook my head and looked away. Solomon said he was thirsty, and she hurried in. I went back home to pack up. … When I was done, I noticed that he had texted me. "Where are you? You should've said goodbye. You left Louise to take care of me alone." I quickly typed, "And she's more than enough." Solomon got discharged and came home that night. He noticed the suitcase that was at the entrance, and he arched his eyebrow. "You're leaving?" Before I could say anything, he nodded. "Might as well. You should take a break and clear your mind. Here, take this card. Buy anything that takes your fancy." He then handed me a card. I took it, and he coughed. "Louise is having a little trouble with her place, so she might need to stay here for a while. Is that okay?" I tucked the card into my bag. Without looking up, I replied, "Sure." Solomon froze, and he looked at me for the longest while. "You're not mad about it?" I chuckled. "She's carrying your baby. Of course she has to stay here. What would the public think if she doesn't?" His expression froze, and then his eyes widened with rage. "That's nonsense! Why are you making up rumors about her? She's your best friend!" That was it. The fury I had been holding in exploded. "Yeah, she's my best friend, so why did you sleep with her anyway? You're an animal!" Solomon's fury grew. "You're mad! My mother's right! You're crazy! I said I never slept with her! Why won't you believe me?" He had taken his anti-allergy meds. I could not expose him, but that did not matter. I grabbed my suitcase and turned to leave. In the end, he did not come after me. … For the next three days, neither of us contacted the other. He texted me on the fourth day. "It's your birthday this weekend. What would you like as your birthday present?" I ignored it. The fifth day came, and he texted, "Where are you? I called your friends, but they said you're not with them." Still no response from me. I hopped onto the train that would take me back to my hometown. Seven days had passed. It was my 28th birthday. By now, Solomon and I were supposed to have been on our honeymoon in Airland. Instead, I was hundreds of miles away from him. Louise posted a new status. "Everything will be settled today." The picture showed that bracelet and an appointment slip for OBGYN. I stared at the post for a moment and left a like. When I refreshed my page, that status was gone. Five minutes later, Solomon texted me. "This is Seapolis Restaurant's location. Just come here later. Louise and I have presents for you." I blocked him. Sitting across from me was the blind date my parents set up. He said gently, "I heard it's your birthday today, Ms. Shaw. I have a little present for you." I thanked him politely and took the present with a smile. Once the date was over, I checked the time. Then I stepped outside and made a phone call. … Solomon walked into the room he reserved at the restaurant. He froze when he saw the gifts on the table. "What's this?" Louise was behind him, and she huddled closer for a look. "Probably Yvonne's presents. She's always so kind. Please be gentle when you deliver the news." Solomon checked the time, and he frowned. "She's going to be late. Where is she?" "Oh, calm down. She probably wants to dress up for this long-awaited reunion. I bet she wants to surprise you." She took her phone out, but when she saw the notification, shock filled her face. She grabbed Solomon's hand and screamed, "This is bad, Solomon! Really bad!" "What's wrong?" His heart sank. He had a bad feeling about this. With a shaking voice, Louise asked, "How did Yvonne find out? Now everyone knows! We're done for!" When Solomon saw what Louise was talking about, his eyes widened, and he snatched her phone. His family chat, work chat, and friend chats were flooded with messages. The screen showed a message Yvonne sent simultaneously half an hour ago. "Pardon me for taking your time, but I have an announcement to make. Solomon Zimmer, my fiance, cheated on me with my best friend, Louise Stone."